R.I.P. SPORTS RELATED 2024(Non Wrestlers)

[jimsteel]

NEW THREAD

NFL/CFL
Leo Sanford-94
Jerry Hilgenberg-92
Marie Mansfield Kelley-92
Richard Kaser-91
Jim Furey-91
Jerry Wampfler-91
Gerry James-89
Michael Lee Falls-89
Mike Mercer-88
Larry Zimmer-88
Ken Ploen-88
Frank Ryan-87
Robert Edward Bercich-87
Dale Messer-86
Carmen Cavalli-86
Nathaniel Slaughter Dye, Sr.-86
Ernie Clark-86
Ron Spitler-86
Chuck Dickerson
Bob Gaiters-85
Roger Wilfred Davis-85
Dave Ritchie-85
Norm Snead-84
Willie Bethea-84
Don Allen-84
Wendell Harris-83
Roman Gabriel-83
Charles Andrew Russell-82
Marty Amsler-81
Steve Tensi-81
Alvin Haymond-81
Larry Beighto-81
Jimy Williams-80
Major Hazelton-80
Tommy Nettles-79
Rod Sherman-79
Kent Devlin Kramer-79
Jerry Daanen-79
Steve Sloan-79
Carl Weathers-76
John Isenbarger-76
Mike Kolen-76
OJ Simpson-76
Rich Caster-75
Steve Okoniewski-74
Terry Beasley-73
John Golden Richards,-73
Jim Hopson-73
Chris Mortensen-72
Fulton Kuykendall-70
Jimmie L. Browner Jr-68
Jerry Daanen-68
Michael Blanton-67
Wayne MacArthur Wilson-66
Don Smerek-66
Eric Scott Sievers-66
Dwight Gerard Walker-65
Lyle Bauer-65
Doug Blevins-61
Alonzo Johnson-60
Jeff Todd Jaeger-59
Jack Squirek-59
Bruce Covernton-57
Joe Sims-55
Michael Hicks-51
Tony Hutso-49
Victor Allan Riley-49
Kelly Malveaux-47
Burke Dales-46
Char-ron Dorsey-46
Taveras Washington-40
Vontae Davis-35
Craig Roh-33
Ronald Powell-32
Korey Cunningham-28

MLB
Carl Erskine-97
Billy Gardner-96
Peter George Angelos-94
Whitey Herzog-92
John Pregenzer-91
John Hardin Oldham-91
Barbara J. “Bobbie” Payne-91
Donald O'Neal Lassetter-90
Bill Lachemann-89
Tom Qualters-88
Maxine Drinkwater Simmons-87
Wayne Allen Schurr-86
Al McBean-85
Larry Brown-84
Jim Hannan-84
Fred “Fritz” Peterson-82
Jerry Grote-81
Bill Voss-80
Bud Harrelson-79
Kenneth Holtzman-78
Larry Lucchino-78
Bill Plummer-76
Don Gullett-73
Chuck Seelbach-76
Ed Ott-72
Steve Staggs-72
Pat Zachry-71
Odell Jones-71
U.L. Washington-70
Lawrence Calvin Demery-70
La Schelle Tarver-65
Jose DeLeon-63
Kevin Wade Batiste-57
Hector Ortiz-54
David McCarty-54
Ronny Garcia-24

NBA
Bob Harrison-96
David C. Gunther-86
Walt Wesley-79
Robert Reid-68
Earl Cureton-66
Jim Rowinski-63
Dejan Milojević-46

NHL
Al Shaver-96
Paul Andrew Masnick-92
Jean-Guy Talbot-91
Don Poile-91
Ed Chadwick-90
Bob Cole-90
Connie Madigan-89
Gerry James-89
Wally Harris-88
Moe L'Abbé-76
Timothy James Ecclestone-76
Dave Forbes-75
Glen Cochrane-65
Mitchell Dennis Molloy-58
Blaine Lacher-53
Christopher J. Simon-52
Konstantin Koltsov-42

SOCCER/RUGBY
Franz Beckenbauer-78
Tommy Baldwin-78
Chris Nicholl-77
Stan Bowles-75
Larry Lloyd-75
Phil Lowe-74
JPR Williams-74
Leighton James-71
Peter Davidson-60
Malcolm Alker-45
Mattia Giani -26
Luke Fleur-24

COLLEGE
Lefty Driesell-92
AJ Simon-25
Keith Miller III-23

BOXING/MMA
Willie Limond-45

OLYMPICS
Lance Larson-83
Richard Thornton-65
Shawn Barber-29
Kelvin Kip
Luke Fleur-24

RACING
Jayo Archer-27

BODYBUILDER
Chad McCrary-49
Marco Cesar Aguiar Luis-20

OTHER
Derek Underwood-78
Maria Feliciana dos Santos-77
Howie Schwab-63

[jimsteel]

Frank Ryan, who was a quarterback in the National Football League for the Los Angeles Rams (1958–1961), Cleveland Browns (1962–1968) and Washington Redskins (1969–1970) passed away at the age of 87.

He led the Browns to their most recent National Football League title in 1964. Ryan was also a mathematician, serving as a faculty member at Case Western Reserve University from 1967 to 1974.

Ryan played football while attending R. L. Paschal High School in Fort Worth, Texas. He was recruited by college coaches from across the country, including Bear Bryant, and he was admitted to Yale University. Ryan declared a major in physics at Rice University, becoming the first in his family not to go to Yale. He was unable to establish himself during the course of his collegiate career, splitting time behind center with King Hill, who was receiving most of the snaps.

Given his desire to obtain a Ph.D., Ryan originally decided not to play professional football after the Los Angeles Rams chose him in the fifth round of the 1958 NFL Draft. He changed his mind after he was able to enroll at both UCLA and the University of California, Berkeley in pursuit of an advanced degree. Ryan then transferred back to Rice, where he studied during the off-season.

Ryan spent the first four years of his career primarily in a reserve capacity, making $12,000 per year. He did start a handful of games in competition with Billy Wade and Zeke Bratkowski. In 1961, he and future Hall of Famer Ollie Matson connected on a 96-yard touchdown reception, establishing a new team record. However, after sitting on the bench for the last four games of the 1961 season, Ryan stormed into the dressing room and threatened General Manager Elroy Hirsch that he was going to quit football if he were not traded. He became part of a multi-player deal with the Cleveland Browns on July 12, 1962, his 26th birthday, as the arrival of highly touted newcomer Roman Gabriel made Ryan expendable.

Acquired by the Cleveland Browns to back up starting quarterback Jim Ninowski, Ryan moved into the starting slot on October 28 when Ninowski broke his collarbone while being tackled by Pittsburgh Steelers' defensive lineman Eugene "Big Daddy" Lipscomb. With no other candidates to compete with, Ryan established his leadership and held on to the starting role for much of the next six seasons. In his first full season as a starter, 1963,


Ryan threw for 2,026 yards and 25 touchdowns with only 13 interceptions, helping the Browns to a 10–4 record. Thirteen of those touchdowns went to Gary Collins, who tied for the league lead in receiving touchdowns that year. In 1964, Ryan established himself as one of the league's best passers. He threw for 2,404 yards and repeated his 1963 performances by completing 25 touchdown passes, which was enough to lead the league. Ryan had excellent company on the Browns offense: fullback Jim Brown; wide receivers Gary Collins and Paul Warfield; and an outstanding offensive line that included Dick Schafrath, John Morrow, John Wooten, Monte Clark, and future Hall of Famer Gene Hickerson. But Ryan was also a clutch performer during the Browns' memorable 10–3–1 season. Needing a win in the December 12 regular-season finale against the New York Giants to clinch a berth in the NFL title game, Ryan completed 12 of 13 passes for five touchdowns and ran for a sixth touchdown in the 52–20 win. Two weeks later, in the championship game against the Baltimore Colts, Ryan hit Collins for three touchdowns to win the title, 27–0.

Ryan was rewarded for his performance with the first of three straight Pro Bowl appearances. Unfortunately, on the first play of the second half, he suffered a severe shoulder injury in the game after the combined 800-pound trio of Packers Willie Davis, Lion Roger Brown and Colt Gino Marchetti converged on the signal caller. Speculation persists to this day that Marchetti went out of his way to injure Ryan due to the perception that the quarterback ran up the score in the championship, with Marchetti's statement that he wanted "one more shot" at Ryan also fueling the rumors. However, a study of the film by Cleveland coaches in the weeks after the game exonerated Marchetti. After winning the championship, Art Modell raised his salary $25,000, up from about $18,000 per season.

Ryan's numbers dropped in 1965, throwing for only 1,751 yards and 18 touchdowns. While his shoulder had completely healed, a sore elbow in training camp and an injured arch early in the regular season played a role in him completing fewer than half of his passes during the campaign. Those struggles resulted in a continuingly cool relationship with Browns fans, who booed him often during home contests. Part of Ryan's decline can also be traced to the absence of second-year wide receiver Paul Warfield, who missed much of the season after suffering a double fracture of the collarbone in the team's first exhibition game.

In 1966, he bounced back with a superb season, leading the league with 29 touchdown passes and finishing second with 2,976 yards despite playing with intense pain. Ryan's output helped alleviate the absence of the legendary Jim Brown, who had retired prior to the start of training camp. His 29 touchdown passes in 14 games rank second in Browns franchise history to Brian Sipe, who got 30 in a 16-game 1980 season.

On January 25, 1967, Ryan underwent an operation to repair the remaining effects of his injury. The surgery eliminated the pain, but also affected his throwing motion. In the 1967 season opener, Ryan's injury woes continued as he sprained both ankles in a 21–14 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. Battling through that malady, along with shoulder and knee troubles, Ryan led the team to a 9–5 record to reach the playoffs. The season would see Ryan suffer a concussion from a head-to-head collision with Dick Butkus. He was knocked out in the second-quarter, but came back to throw three touchdown passes in the third quarter to will his team to a 24–0 victory. Ryan credits this collision for the cervical disc replacement he underwent after retiring.

Ryan's tenure as the Browns' starting quarterback came to an abrupt end following a 1–2 start to the 1968 season. Browns head coach Blanton Collier replaced Ryan with Bill Nelsen, who went on to lead the team to a division title. The official conclusion of Ryan's time with the Browns came on September 9, 1969, when he was released, but new Redskins coach Vince Lombardi quickly signed Ryan as a backup.

Despite throwing only one pass during the 1969 season, Ryan returned for the last of his 13 years in the NFL in 1970 before officially announcing his retirement on April 13, 1971. With his accurate throwing arm, his 14.7 yards per completion still ranks as one of the all-time leaders.

[jimsteel]

Connie Madigan, a Canadian NHL defenseman, passed away as reported on several social media posts at the age of 89.

He played 20 games in the National Hockey League with the St. Louis Blues during the 1972–73 season.

The rest of his career, which lasted from 1955 to 1976, was spent in the minor leagues. Madigan is notable for being the oldest rookie in NHL history, aged 38. He portrayed Ross "Mad Dog" Madison in the movie Slap Shot (1977). Mr. Madigan passed away on January 2, 2024

Beset with numerous injuries in the 1972–73 season, the St. Louis Blues of the NHL bought Madigan's rights from the Buckaroos, and he suited up for the Blues in January 1973 at the age of 38, becoming the oldest rookie ever. He played competently for the Blues in twenty regular-season games and five playoff games before finishing his career with Portland in parts of the two successive seasons.

At the time of his retirement, Madigan was second in minor league history in career penalty minutes.

[jimsteel]

Willie Bethea, a former CFL halfback and fullback who played for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, passed away at the age of 84

Bethea won the Grey Cup with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 1963, 1965 and 1967. Prior to his CFL career he played football in Paterson, New Jersey, and attended Rider University. Bethea played from 1963 to 1970 during his career with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Bethea ran for 3,919 yards in his career on 781 attempts, scoring 20 rushing touchdowns. He also caught 145 passes for 1,800 yards and 9 receiving touchdowns. He was inducted into the Hamilton Tiger-Cats Wall of Honour in 2012

[jimsteel]

Taveras Washington, a former NFL guard, passed away at 40

He was a guard in the National Football League for part of a single season in 2008. He played college football for the University of Florida, and also played professionally for the Las Vegas Locomotives of the United Football League.

Washington was born in Greenville, Mississippi. He attended South Delta High School in Rolling Fork, Mississippi, and played high school football for the South Delta Bulldogs.
He accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where he played for coach Ron Zook and coach Urban Meyer's Florida Gators football team from 2002 to 2005.
Washington was signed by the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent in 2006, and was a member of the 49ers' practice squad from 2006 to 2007. He was released by the 49ers in 2008, signed by the Washington Redskins and released.

He was subsequently signed by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2008, and appeared in two of the Chiefs' regular-season games.
Additionally, he was a member of the Las Vegas Locomotives of the UFL, and participated in the Locomotives' 2009 UFL championship.

[TTX]

40 is too young. RIP.

[on_the_edge]

Jan 4, 2024 11:15:05 GMT -5 jimsteel said:

Connie Madigan, a Canadian NHL defenseman, passed away as reported on several social media posts at the age of 89.

He played 20 games in the National Hockey League with the St. Louis Blues during the 1972–73 season.

The rest of his career, which lasted from 1955 to 1976, was spent in the minor leagues. Madigan is notable for being the oldest rookie in NHL history, aged 38. He portrayed Ross "Mad Dog" Madison in the movie Slap Shot (1977). Mr. Madigan passed away on January 2, 2024

Beset with numerous injuries in the 1972–73 season, the St. Louis Blues of the NHL bought Madigan's rights from the Buckaroos, and he suited up for the Blues in January 1973 at the age of 38, becoming the oldest rookie ever. He played competently for the Blues in twenty regular-season games and five playoff games before finishing his career with Portland in parts of the two successive seasons.

At the time of his retirement, Madigan was second in minor league history in career penalty minutes.

Buckaroos is such a cool team name. RIP

[jimsteel]

US Olympian and swimming coach Richard Thornton, 65, dies while surfing in California,

[jimsteel]

Jack Squirek, a former NFL linebacker in who played in the National Football League for the Los Angeles Raiders from 1982 to 1986 and for the Miami Dolphins in 1986 passed away at the age of 59.

During college he starred at the University of illinois. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Raiders in the 2nd round (35th overall) of the 1982 NFL Draft.

Squirek's most famous play is his interception in Super Bowl XVIII against the Washington Redskins: before the end of the first half, a Raiders drive stalled when Jim Plunkett's third-down pass was incomplete, but Ray Guy's 27-yard punt pinned Washington at their own 12-yard line with 12 seconds left in the half. On the next play, Squirek intercepted Joe Theismann's screen pass and returned it for a touchdown to give the Raiders a 21–3 halftime lead. The Raiders went on to win, 38–9. Super Bowl champion (XVIII). He played in 55 games during his NFL career.

[jimsteel]

Marty Amsler, a former defensive end in the National Football League for the Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals and Green Bay Packers, passed away at the age of 81.

He played college football at the University of Evansville. He graduated from the University of Evansville in 1967. In 1964, he was named to the All-Conference team of the Indiana Collegiate Conference at defensive end and was inducted into the University of Evansville Hall of Fame and the Indiana Football Hall of Fame in 1979 and 2001 respectively.

Amsler was selected in the 18th round (243rd overall) of the 1965 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys. He became the first graduate from the University of Evansville to be drafted into the NFL. He was waived before the season started and returned to Evansville to serve as an assistant coach for the offensive and defensive linemen.

He then signed with the Denver Broncos as a free agent in 1966, but was cut before the season started. In 1966, he played defensive end for the Wheeling Ironmen of the Continental Football League.
Amsler signed as a free agent with the Chicago Bears in 1967 and played in fourteen games that season, registering one interception and one fumble recovery. He missed the 1968 season with a torn Achilles tendon. The next year, he played in eleven games and recorded one fumble recovery. He was released on September 14, 1970. He was then claimed off waivers by the Cincinnati Bengals on September 15, 1970 and played three games before being cut.
The Green Bay Packers signed Amsler to their taxi squad on October 18, 1970, before activating him in week six and playing him the rest of the season (9 games). He also played on special teams.
He signed with the Denver Broncos as a free agent in 1971, but was released on September 2. Throughout his entire NFL career, he played in 37 games and started in 20.

The following is an excerpt from Amsler's online obituary: "Marty graduated from Bosse High School in 1960 where he played football and was named to the All-Conference team of the Indiana Collegiate Conference for his position at defensive end. He later played for the University of Evansville and was the first graduate from the university to play for the NFL. In 1979 and 2001, he was inducted into the University of Evansville Hall of Fame and the Indiana Football Hall of Fame. Marty played football in the Continental Football League and was then drafted into the NFL in 1965 by the Dallas Cowboys. He later signed as a free agent with the Chicago Bears in 1967 where he played for three seasons and then went on to play for the Bengals, Packers and Broncos. He was a member of the NFL Players Association and former Players Board of Directors.

Marty formerly served on the Evansville board of public works and zoning appeals. He was a member of Bethel UCC, formerly sang in the church choir, and was on the board of directors. He was also a member of the Downtown Quarterback Club, Masonic Lodge, and announced Friday night high school football."